Constellations
by princessphilomena
Summary: 4th longshot/chapter: Star light, Star bright - Her older sister had a reason for everything she did, no matter how much it hurt both of them. Lana sacrificed so much, but it didn't ever lessen the hurt she inflicted on her sister. Full summary inside!
1. Wish Upon a Folded Star

**Summary: **Each star in the night sky shines vibrantly on its own; when joined together, they form beautiful constellations. A set of one-shots of the sisters of the Ace Attorney series.

~ This story contains **spoilers for all games**!

~ You **do not** need to read every chapter; each long shot is unrelated to the rest, and they are as follows:

Chapter 1: Wish Upon a Folded Star - **Iris and Dahlia**

Chapter 2: Fallen Star - **Lana and Ema**

Chapter 3: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - **Mia and Maya**

**Dedication: **I decided that I wanted to dedicate this story (this chapter especially) to my best friend. It's all thanks to him that I got Ace Attorney and he was the one that fueled my appreciation for Iris. So for that and everything else, this story goes to him :)

**Author's "pre-notes":**

This is my first time trying to write this genre so I'm not sure how well it turned out...

This is the first of five one-shots I'm planning to write spotlighting the sisters of the PW series centered around a theme.

I guess this is a bit long for a one-shot, though XD

I must also thank **Ioniclunch** for beta-reading and **kaleidostarmoon** for looking over it for me :D Thanks, guys!

Ah, a disclaimer before I forget...

**Disclaimer: **All characters, settings, plots, etc. related to the Ace Attorney series belong to the wonderful Capcom. I don't own the art of star-folding either :)

On with the story! (Oh, in case you were wondering, this first chapter is about Iris and Dahlia)

Enjoy! :D

* * *

**Wish Upon a Folded Star**

"_Now pinch the corners."_

_Her sister's delicate eyebrows bunched together as she tried unsuccessfully to follow her instructions._

"_I can't do it, Dollie!" Her eyes watered. "I can't do anything, can I?"_

"_Don't be silly, Rissy. You just need practice." Little Dahlia took the unfinished paper star from her sister's hand and fixed it. She handed it back._

"_Here. Now close your eyes and make a wish."_

_Iris sniffled. "Does it really work?" Dahlia nodded._

"_Then I wish that Dollie and I will always be best friends and that we'll always love each other." She gave her sister a quick, shy hug and dropped her star into the jar Dahlia held out to her._

_Dahlia giggled and said with an older sister exasperation. "Rissy! You weren't supposed to say it out loud. Now it won't come true."_

_Iris' innocent eyes widened in horrified shock and she clapped a tiny hand over her mouth. Dahlia saw that her sister's eyes were wet again._

"_Oh, Rissy! Don't cry! If Mommy sees you, she'll yell at you for being a baby again."_

"_But my wish won't come true now!"_

"_Rissy, you're being silly again! You're my sister and I'll always love you. Okay?" She grabbed Iris' hand. "Come on. We'll go to the pond. Maybe we'll see some ducks – they always make you laugh."_

_Iris sniffled again and wiped her face with the back of her hand. _

"_Will there be bunnies too?"_

"_Yup! I promise – bunnies, ducks, maybe even frogs. We can even catch one and put it in somebody's bed."_

_Iris giggled. "Okay, then."_

* * *

Iris sat alone in her room, the unfinished paper star in her hand, her eyes brimming over as the unexpected memory brought a wave of loneliness over her. She missed Dahlia so much and it had only been a week since she had been left at Hazakura Temple. Sister Bikini was a jolly, friendly nun, but _no one_ could replace her sister. How would she know what to do without Dahlia there?

Dahlia had always been the star to shine more brilliantly – enough for the two of them. She was always the one to lead the way, to make decisions, to protect Iris from their mother's angry tantrums. And now, Dahlia was far, far away with a small chance of ever being reunited with her sister.

As the tears spilled down her cheeks, Iris looked down at her paper star. She could imagine Dahlia, _"Don't cry, Rissy! You have to be stronger than that!"_

"_I can't do it, Dollie!"_ she cried internally, just as vulnerably as she had many years ago.

"_Everything will be okay, Rissy. Now dry your tears and make a wish."_ Her sister's words from past years echoed in her head.

All Iris wanted was the chance to say the many things she had left unsaid for the past years. And now she would never have that chance.

But as the despair sank in, an idea formed in her head. Slowly, she unfolded her paper star and smoothed out the strip of paper. As she pulled out a pen, she hesitated, and a teardrop became the first mark on her paper.

* * *

_Dear Dollie,_

_I miss you so much. Now I know what it really feels like to be alone. It's not like when the other kids made fun of me and didn't let me play with them when we were younger. You were always there for me. Now I know that being alone means being without my best friend, my leader, my protector, my big sister. Being alone means being without you. I hope that one day, you'll know how much I love you and how lucky I feel to be your sister._

_Love,_

_Rissy_

* * *

As she signed her name, she felt a certain peace inside at having written out the hurt she was feeling. She folded it up and gently dropped it into the jar Dahlia had given her.

It was the first star of many.

* * *

_Dear Dollie,_

_You've changed so much. It hurts me to see you like this. What happened to my sweet, brilliant older sister? Why have you suddenly turned to criminal means? You know how much I love you and want to help you, but why must you force me to help you in doing something so hurtful and dangerous? What if something happens to you? And that man, Terry – he's innocent. I feel so weak and cowardly for not being able to stop you and for agreeing to help you. Dahlia, I know the real you is still there somewhere. Maybe one day, the big sister I loved will come back to me._

* * *

_Dahlia,_

_Where are you now? You promised me that after you left with the diamond, you would call or write to me. That was three months ago. Where have you gone, Dollie? It feels like you've abandoned me._

* * *

_Why, Dollie? Why? How could you do such a horrible thing? Valerie and Terry helped you in your plan; how could betray them like that? All you wanted was the diamond and you got it. Every time I close my eyes, I remember how I failed to stop you. Every step you take away from being the Dahlia you once were feels like a stab into my heart. Dollie, I'm begging you, please come back._

* * *

_Dahlia,_

_I don't want to lie to him any more. Every time he calls me Dollie, it breaks my heart to remember that everything is a lie. Our relationship is a lie, our love is a lie, I am a lie. Feenie is innocent, and when he discovers the truth, it'll hurt him so much. Please, Dollie, stop making me hurt him. And stop making me hurt myself. How can I live loving a man who doesn't even know who I am?_

* * *

_Dear Dahlia,_

_Why must it end like this? Why couldn't you have stopped before it was too late? Why didn't you realize the consequences? Dollie, you're going to die. I will never see you again. Dollie, I love you so much. Even if the whole world says that you don't get a second chance, I forgive you for everything you've done wrong. Please just show me a sign that the real Dahlia is still in you somewhere._

* * *

_Dear Dollie,_

_These past two months have been excruciatingly painful for me. At times I feel that there is no possible way that you can actually be completely gone. But why have you still not realized your mistakes and regretted them? Mr. Godot told me of your plan long ago, but I held fast to the belief that you would never do such a thing. I feel like my whole being has been shattered from all the times you let me down. And it's heartbreaking to know that it was our mother who planned all this. I've been hoping all these years that you would turn back, but it's beyond too late now._

* * *

_I feel so ashamed that it had to come down to us against each other. Sister against sister. When did our lives twist into this ugly mess? What happened to the two little girls who spent hours folding stars together? Now I sit in my room, folding star after star and wishing again and again that all this were a bad dream. What you did was wrong, but I still felt like I was betraying you in helping Mr. Godot. Everything has spiraled out of my control ever since the day father left me here at the temple. Seeing you in court trying to frame our cousin burned an everlasting image in my mind. You left me no choice, Dollie. I believed in you so faithfully, but you still kept going down the wrong path. And I couldn't do anything to stop you._

* * *

_Dear Dollie,_

_I'm so sorry. Did I really do the right thing? Or should I have, as a loyal sister, helped you in any plan you had, no matter how wrong it was? Even so many months after your death, I still feel a hole in my heart, aching for the older sister that once was a brilliant star in my sky. But Dollie, not matter where you are, I wish so much that you will know that I still love you, I forgive you and I will always miss you every day. You were the one who taught me how to fold these stars and to make wishes on them. Now I can only hope that someday, somewhere, somehow, you will know that I never, ever gave up on you. Every star I have ever folded doesn't even come close to representing how important you were, are and always will be to me._

_I love you,_

_Rissy_

* * *

Iris stood at the edge of Eagle River, the waters rushing beneath her feet. In her hands she held a jar filled to the brim with paper stars of every colour and size. Hugging it close against her heart, she closed her eyes. Memories of her sister flashed through her mind, some in the very place she was standing.

She choked back a sob as the truth dawned upon her.

"You're not coming back, are you, Dollie?" she whispered to the wind.

_I'm so sorry, Rissy. You'll have to be strong without me._

"_No, Dahlia! Don't go! Don't abandon me again!"_ she screamed inside, clutching the jar even closer.

_Shh…we had to part someday. You have to let go…Goodbye, Iris._

Dahlia was gone forever.

Iris fought against the tears stinging in her eyes. Dahlia would not come back no matter how hard she cried. She looked down at the jar she carried, which suddenly felt much heavier than it actually was.

_You have to let go…_

Iris felt her arms toss the jar towards the river and as it was caught by an updraft of wind, the lid came undone. Hundreds of multicoloured little stars cascaded out and for a moment, they seemed to be floating.

As Iris watched all her wishes dance towards the water below, she could feel a weight lift off of her as if each little star had been carrying a burden from the past years. She stood there until all she could see was rushing water again and made one more wish.

_I wish that one day, we'll meet again. But until then…goodbye, Dollie._

* * *

**Author's End Notes:**

I hope I kept them in character enough...

I know, the letters seem a bit long to fit on a strip of star folding paper...but let's pretend Iris has really small writing, 'kay? :D

And I'm assuming that Dahlia wasn't evil by nature - it was the lack of love from her family after she was separated from Iris.

Oh, if any of you are confused by Iris' actions at the end, I should clarify something. Iris isn't giving up on Dahlia, she still believes she's out there somewhere; Iris is just letting go of all the hurt between Dahlia and her over the years.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and _please _leave me a review! I really want to know what you thought of this :) (Pretty please?)

If my brain juices allow, the next chapter should be about Lana and Ema, from Lana's perspective :D


	2. Fallen Star

**Pre-notes:**

Hey guys! I'm so sorry for taking a while to update (you may realize now that I can be a _very_ slow writer XD)

If you haven't already, please read the dedication on the previous page :)

Thanks to **kaleidostarmoon** for reading this over for me! She also brought this up: You may notice that I spell 'armour' a-r-m-o-u-r :D I am Canadian, and you will probably find that for pretty much all words like that, I do spell things **'-our'** (So all of you who spell it a different way, please don't eat me :P)

I also must thank **Jedi Knight Cheeze** for beta-reading and pointing out a major discrepancy with the actual game. Sadly, there is still a slight contradiction to the events of SL9, but I'm hoping you guys won't notice (Let see the true Ace Attorneys pick out the contradiction! :D) I would have changed it, but then there would have been way to much to rewrite.

Thanks also goes to **Szabu** (on Court Records) for inspiring the title of this chapter with his own story "Tears of a Fallen Star" (and for letting me use it :D)

Here's chapter two - this chapter's of Lana and Ema (more so of Lana, though :D)

Okies, enough talking :D On with the story!

* * *

**Fallen Star**

She peered outside into the darkness, the black sky adorned with hundreds of twinkling stars surrounding her like a majestic cloak. There was a brilliant flash of light, and then just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared over the invisible horizon.

Lana Skye had just watched a star fall.

* * *

The face of the suit of armour seemed to stare down at Lana emotionlessly as she strode across the room to pick up the ringing phone in the grand office.

"Detective Lana Skye speaking."

"Hey, Lana!" A cheery voice sounded on the other end, alleviating the chilling feeling of being watched by the masked suit of armour.

"Ema! What's wrong? Are you sick? Did something happen to you at school?" Lana's trained motherly instincts took over as she realized that Ema would not normally call her from school.

"No, no, no! I'm fine," came Ema's reassuring answer. "It's just that…well, I kind of forgot that there was no school today." There was a pause. "Please don't be mad," Ema added in a small voice, bracing herself for a parental lecture delivered by her sister.

To her surprise, Lana burst out laughing.

"Oh, Ema! What am I going to do with you? So now you're stuck at school?"

"Yeah…but the janitors won't let me inside."

"I'll come pick you up, then."

"But Lana, you're so busy with that poisoning case right now. I can just walk to the library…it's not too far."

"Don't be silly, Ema. It'll take you forty minutes. Just sit tight and I'll be there in fifteen."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ema, I'm sure. We can go out for lunch – it'll be fun. But you'll have to stay at my office for a couple of hours."

"Oh, cool! You mean the big one that you share with that man who has pink sunglasses like me?"

Lana laughed again. "Yes, that one. But you'll have to be good, because we're still investigating that poisoning case. Are you sure you can handle all this murder stuff? It's a little morbid…" she added, her parental instincts taking control again.

"Of course I can handle it! I'm going to be a scientific investigator one day!"

"That reminds me…if there's no school today, did you stay up until two last night studying for that huge science test for nothing?"

"Oh…oops. I guess that's on Monday, then."

Lana gave an exasperated groan. "Well…at least that means you've got time to review. Anyways, I'm coming now to pick you up."

"Thanks, Lana. You're the best!"

Hearing her sister's genuine comment, Lana felt her heart swell with pride. It was times like these that made all the rough spots worth going through. She felt so happy with her life as the adored big sister and the well-liked, high-ranked detective.

Lana Skye was a shining star.

* * *

Lightning streaked through the sky and thunder roared in the background. As Lana hurried inside the Police Department doors, gripping her umbrella handle tightly, she couldn't help but glance up at the downcast skies and wonder if her day would be equally as bad.

Little did she know, it would be a living nightmare.

- - -

Upon entering the police department lobby, Lana was greeted by numerous colleagues, hustling and bustling about.

"Hi, Detective. Here's the report you asked for yesterday."

"Good morning, Miss Skye. There was a call for you an hour ago, so I took down the number for you."

Lana responded to all of these greetings with a smile, wondering why the building was so busy at such an early hour.

"Howdy, Bambina."

"Jake!" she whirled around. "What's going on here? It's only seven."

"Well, Bambina, if you'd come twenty minutes earlier, you would know this, but Joe Darke cam in this morning an' turned himself in."

"He _what?!_" Several heads turned in surprise at Lana's unexpected outburst.

"Said somethin' about feeling guilty," Jake muttered, his eyebrows furrowed. "But I don't trust that man…he's too shady – killing one witness after another. Neil's preparing to question him in a bit and Bruce and Angel are on their way here."

She nodded. "I've got a report to finish – I should be done that in an hour. Could you page my office when the questioning starts?

"No problem, Bambina. Don't forget to bring Detective Gant too."

"Okay, Jake. Thanks."

- - -

"For someone who turned themselves in, he's not being very helpful," Bruce muttered.

The investigation team stood outside the interrogation room, intently watching the questioning through the one-way glass.

"Maybe I should go in. Nobody can stay quiet when I'm through with them," Angel suggested, sounding impatient at the past two hours that had yielded no results.

"No, no. Let Neil go for ten more minutes and then we'll see," Gant replied calmly, twiddling the strand of hair that hung in front of his forehead. "Oh, by the way, Lana, your sister came looking for you so I told her to wait for you in our office."

Lana glanced at the clock and grimaced. "Hopefully she'll be able to amuse herself with investigating the room until we're done here."

The group stood for a few minutes in silence when the windowless room suddenly went pitch black.

"What happened?"

"I think there's a power outage. It's storming outside."

"Do you think the whole building lost power?"

"I guess we'll just have to go see."

A crash suddenly sounded from the interrogation room, followed by a yell, "He's getting away!"

Someone managed to find the door handle after several moments and they were relieved to find that the corridor was dimly lit by an emergency light.

"Okay, everyone split up!" Gant ordered, and they all hurried in a different direction to pursue the murderer on the loose.

Jake and Lana arrived at the criminal affairs department in a few moments.

"I'll go check the case file room," Jake called over his shoulder.

Lana suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, no! Ema!" she gasped as she remembered.

Jake looked back at her, concerned, "It's okay, Bambina. I've got it covered here. You go find your sister."

Lana gave him a quick smile of thanks and quickly ran the other way.

The pounding of her heart in her chest seemed to match with the rumbles of thunder outside as she navigated through the dark corridors and occasional crowds of anxious yelling people as she made her way to her office.

_Please, Ema. Please don't be hurt._

It felt like an eternity before she reached her office and when she did, the sight of Neil's corpse hanging from the spear of the suit of armour nearly made here scream. But the sound was stuck in her throat when she saw her sister crumpled on the ground.

"Ema!" she gasped, running to her sister and cradling her in her arms. "Ema! Ema! Wake up!" she cried, nearly shaking her sister in her panic.

_What happened?_

Gingerly, Lana slowly surveyed the room, trying not to look at the grotesque sight of Neil's impaled body. Horrified, she saw the jar with her sister's name and the events began to piece together in her mind.

"No…it can't be," she whispered, as if in a trance.

She nearly jumped when Damon Gant entered the room.

"Lana! What happened here?" His eyes landed on Neil's corpse and swept back to Lana cradling her sister. "Did…Did _Ema_ do this?" he asked hesitantly.

"No! No! It's not possible!" she cried, shaking her head repeatedly and hugging her sister closer. "Ema wouldn't…she couldn't…no…no…"

Gant knelt in front of her. "Lana…people are going to come soon. Ema will have to be put on trial…they could send her to jail."

Lana's head jerked up, a crazed despair in her eyes.

"Please, Mr. Gant! Help me! Ema can't go to jail!"

She glanced around the room, desperately searching for something – anything – to help her sister. Suddenly, an idea dawned upon her.

"Please, sir! Couldn't we pretend that Darke did this? After all, we've been looking for decisive evidence to sentence him! We're not punishing an innocent man - we know he's guilty! Please…if neither of us say anything, no one will ever find out," she pleaded desperately.

He regarded her silently for a moment.

"Fine. But we'll have to act fast."

Lana Skye was a falling star.

* * *

In her dream, she found herself surrounded by thick clouds, obstructing her vision so that she was helplessly lost.

"Ema!" she called, but her voice sounded far away, lost in the dark cloak of clouds that captured her in its folds.

"Ema!" she called again, but this time, she felt a pair of gloved hands wrap around her throat, suffocating her.

"S-stop! I-I can't breathe!" she choked as the clouds swirled dizzily around her.

As her vision blacked out, the last thing she heard was a cackling, maniacal laugh.

- - -

Lana shot up in bed, her hands instinctively flying to her neck, where she could have sworn a pair of gloved hands were a minute ago.

_Relax, Lana. It was just a dream._

She tried to slow her breathing, to calm the pounding in her chest, but the despair and fear would not subside.

_It's no dream, Lana. With the control he has over you now, he might as well have his hands around your neck._

Lana shivered in bed, a feeling of helplessness overwhelming her again. She didn't know which part of her life was worse – the terrifying nightmares or the uncontrollable living hell that was her life now. Even worse was the fact that she couldn't cry, she couldn't scream. She was left to muffle her sobs beneath her covers, suffocating in her own despair.

She nearly jumped when her door creaked open a crack.

"L-Lana?" Ema's voice called out hesitantly.

Seeing her sister was a relief from her horrifying nightmares, and Lana longed to reach out to her and embrace her, something she hadn't done in years. But locked in the cruel life she lived now, she couldn't.

"What is it, Ema?" she asked emotionlessly, closing her eyes. It was easier to hold up the façade when she couldn't see the hurt she had inflicted in her sister's face.

"I…I thought I heard you call my name," Ema responded, almost inaudibly.

"No, Ema. I didn't. Now go back to bed."

Inside, a voice was screaming.

_Stop it! Can't you see how badly you're hurting her?_

_I don't have a choice,_ another voice responded bitterly. _She can't know what's happening._

Lana heard the door close and she was glad that her eyes were still closed. She took in a deep shuddering breath, letting her mind go blank, the momentary feeling of nothingness a temporary solace in her life with no silver lining. There was no escape from the iron bars that locked her inside her heart.

It was never going to end.

- - -

"And this year's Prosecutor of the Year award goes to…Miles Edgeworth!"

The audience broke out into polite applause with the exception of Detective Gumshoe yelling in the background, "Whoo! Mr. Edgeworth!"

Lana smiled stoically as she shook his hand and handed him his trophy.

"Congratulations, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Thank you, Chief Prosecutor," he responded in the same bland tone that she used.

As he walked off the stage, Lana could hear whispering in the front row.

"_Isn't that the demon prosecutor who forges evidence?"_

"_Yeah…and didn't he kill somebody last Christmas?"_

"_The police department must either be crazy or oblivious giving the award to that man."_

Lana felt a wave of guilt wash over her as the emotionless smile fell off her face.

_It's all my fault…I gave him the forged evidence that started these rumors._

_But you had to protect Ema!_

_At the expense of so many people…Edgeworth, Jake, Angel…_

_It's too late to regret it now, Lana. It's much too late._

- - -

Lana strode to the ladies' restroom, relieved that the tiresome ceremony was finally over. She pulled out her ringing cell phone, and seeing the name that flashed on caller ID, wanted to throw it on the floor and have it break into a hundred pieces.

_My day's been bad enough…I don't need him to add to it._

She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and recollected herself.

"Chief Gant?"

"I need you to do me another favour, Lana. You see, there's been a little accident."

Hours later, she would wish that she had hung up right then and there. As she listened to him describe the situation, she felt a sick feeling in her stomach and a scream erupt inside of her.

When she hung up, she could only bury her head in her arms, a desperate feeling enveloping her.

_Why? Why? Why?_

- - -

She moved around in a daze, unaware of what she was really doing.

And when a hand grabbed her wrist and she looked up into Angel Starr's accusing glare, she could almost feel a morbid relief.

_It's finally over, isn't it?_

On a reflex, she made a feeble attempt to get away, but still found herself in police custody a while later.

- - -

The officer across from her asked her question after question, droning on in a monotonous voice.

She wasn't really paying attention to him, instead imagining various people in her mind's eye.

Damon Gant, clapping and laughing obnoxiously, free from the accusations of any crime.

Miles Edgeworth, likely to be the prosecutor of her case, going to great lengths to prove her guilty.

Jake Marshall, Angel Starr, even the deceased Bruce Goodman, all staring accusingly at her.

But most of all, Ema's disappointed and hurt expression at being told that her sister was a murderer. Poor, vulnerable, little Ema, who had to be protected at all costs.

Lana's sudden outburst startled the officer.

"I did it. I killed Bruce Goodman."

Lana Skye was a fallen star.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Well, what did you think? Was it sad and desperate enough? Do you really hate Damon Gant now? (I hope so :D)

I'm sorry if you found the ending a little angsty :P Hopefully, the next chapter will be a little more hopeful - after all, it will be from Ema's perspective :)

Anyways, reviews are loved!! I will adore you if you leave me some feedback! :D

(Okay, Ace Attorneys, here lies the contradiction:

Jedi Knight Cheeze pointed out to me that in the game, Lana believed herself to be the first one on the scene. I then went to read up on a case walkthrough, and found that this was true. Reading on, I also found out that Lana hadn't been in questioning with Darke. In fact, it seemed that Gant and Neil were the only ones who had been. Apparently, Lana had been doing some filing of sorts, and had returned to her office for that reason, and then stumbled on the crime scene.

So you'll notice that if I had changed that accordingly, I would have had to rewrite most of the second section. _However_, it may be just me, but I think it would make more sense for Lana to be in questioning with Darke too. After all, she was part of the investigation team _and_ made up half of the Legendary Duo :)

So that's the contradiction. Rise From the Ashes was pretty confusing for me, and it's little details like these that slip my mind. Sorries! I promise to read up on all the case descriptions and walkthroughs again next time!)


	3. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

**"Pre-notes"**

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I've updated; I've been insanely busy recently :(

So finally, I reveal to you the third longshot of _Constellations_ - a chapter of Mia and Maya.

Yes, I know, I originally said it would be another one of Ema and Lana, but no inspiration came...

So instead, I bring you _Ch. 3 - Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_

Once again, I need to thank **kaleidostarmoon**and **JediKnightCheeze** for beta-ing for me :D I should mention that JKC pointed out a slight age discrepancy, so Mia and Maya's ages might be slightly off, depending on how you calculate it :P

And one more thing: the "other" lyrics of the song _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_ **are** from the original song. If you want to find out more, you can always search it up on wikipedia or something :D And so, I should add a disclaimer:

**Capcom owns all things Ace Attorney, and I don't own any part of the song "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"**

Anyways, enjoy~

**

* * *

**

**Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star**

"Okay girls, now go to sleep."

Misty Fey kissed Mia's cheek and patted the squirming lump beneath the sheets.

"Maya, don't keep your sister up," she scolded.

"Shh! Mommy! I'm not here!" the squirming lump protested in a loud whisper.

"Alright, then," her mother responded, playing along. "Mia, if you ever do find your sister, tell her that she left her stuffed elephant in my room."

The tiny lump suddenly bounced up, sending a pillow flying and smacking a bewildered Mia in the face.

"Mommy! You have Effie?" Little Maya began jumping on the bed, making it impossible for Mia to sleep. However, her stout legs quickly lost their balance, and she ended up plopping down on her sister's stomach.

"Ouch!" Mia complained. Though her two-year-old sister didn't weigh much, it was still uncomfortable to have something sitting on her rib cage.

After another ten minutes of fuss, Maya finally settled down in bed, clutching little Effie the elephant tightly in her stout arms.

_Finally,_ Mia thought. _Now I can sleep._

She turned on her side, glad that Maya was finally quiet again. She had nearly fallen asleep when she felt wind blowing in her face.

_That's weird,_ her dreaming mind thought. _I'm sure it wasn't windy a moment ago._

She opened her eyes, only to find her sister's face two inches from hers.

"Gah!" Mia shrieked and fell off the bed in surprise.

Maya giggled on the bed. "Heehee…sissy…I scared you!"

"That wasn't funny," Mia replied crossly. "I was trying to sleep."

With a huff, Mia climbed back on the bed, turning on her other side so that her back was faced pointedly at Maya.

After a few moments of silence, Mia felt a chubby hand on her cheek.

"Mi-a, are you mad at me?"

Mia gave no response. Suddenly, she felt a big, wet kiss on her cheek.

"Eww!" she cried, wiping it off with the back of her hand, but she couldn't help but not be mad at her little sister. She sat up, and Maya leaped into her lap instantly, staring up at Mia angelically.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Mia sighed, surrendering, but unable to keep a slow smile from creeping onto her face.

"I guess not…"

"Then will you sing me and Effie to sleep?" Maya began bouncing up and down in her sister's lap.

"Okay! Okay! But stop bouncing first! You're shaking the bed, you goose!" Mia laughed, tickling her sister.

_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

_Up above the world so high_

_Like a diamond in the sky_

_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

* * *

"Sissy, I'm tired," Maya complained, plopping down onto the floor, a grape-flavoured lollipop in her hand.

"Ma-ya! The ground's dirty!" Mia picked her up and brushed her off, only to have Maya promptly plop back down again.

"Maya! I told Mom we'd be back before her," she said exasperatedly. Maya still refused to budge.

Groaning, Mia relented. "Fine! I'll piggyback you home!"

The walk from the pond to the centre of Kurain Village was only ten minutes long, but with Maya on her back, it seemed to Mia that the distance grew longer with each step.

Arriving back at the village, Mia suddenly wondered if she had gone to the wrong place. It was suddenly swarmed with people – news reporters and the paparazzi were everywhere.

Mia was suddenly relieved that Maya was on her back, and she finally managed to push through the crowds to meet her aunt.

"Girls! Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"

"Aunt Morgan, what happened here?" Mia pressed, completely ignoring her aunt's question.

"Oh, Mia…I hate to push this on you so suddenly, but…"

"But what?"

"It's your mother. She's disappeared."

"W-what?" Mia stammered, unable to form any other coherent question.

"No one's been able to find or contact her for the last eleven hours – the tabloids are going to go crazy about this."

Mia opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Finally, she forced herself to ask the inevitable question.

"D-do you think she'll come back?"

Aunt Morgan looked flustered. "I…I don't know, Mia. But why don't you and Maya go to bed? It's been a crazy day. Get some rest and things will be better in the morning."

_That's not true,_ Mia realized with a sinking feeling, but she allowed herself to be steered towards the sleeping chambers, with Maya still clinging to her neck.

Sinking down in her bed, reality finally hit home as she felt a tidal wave of emotion overwhelm her. She tried to choke back a sob, but failed, the held-back tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Sissy?" Maya had clambered into Mia's lap, her eyes wide as she stared up at her sister's tearstained face.

"Sissy," she repeated. "Where's Mommy?"

Maya's innocent question brought a fresh round of tears from Mia, who vainly tried to muffle her cries by biting down on her lip.

"I don't know, Maya," she finally sobbed, hugging her baby sister close. She felt a little hand pat her head.

"Don't cry, Mia," little Maya said reassuringly, oblivious to the weight of the situation. But to Mia, Maya's naïve comment brought her a fleeting feeling of comfort, her innocent remark a golden nugget of wisdom.

"Will you sing me to sleep?" Maya asked when her sister's tears had finally stopped.

Mia hiccupped, about to protest that her throat was hoarse from crying, but then remembered how soothing it was when their mother sang her to sleep.

Rocking Maya in her arms, it struck her how oddly similar the song was to her predicament, and how lucky she was to have Maya. She closed her eyes, temporarily shutting out the pain as she fell into rhythm with the familiar tune.

_When the blazing sun is gone_

_When he nothing shines upon_

_Then you show your little light_

_Twinkle, twinkle, all the night_

_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

* * *

It had been two weeks. Two weeks of fruitless waiting for the Master of Kurain that would never return. About twenty claimed sightings of Misty Fey were reported, but with each passing day, the desperate sinking feeling in Mia's heart told her that her mother would never come back.

_Don't cry, Mia,_ she told herself. _You have to be strong. You have to take care of Maya. When Mom comes back, she'll be disappointed to see how easily you fell apart._

_**If**__ she ever does come back,_ the inevitable voice argued.

But Mia refused to have that fact shatter her resolve. She struggled to keep her mind occupied with her chores as a medium-in-training and full-time babysitter for Maya. Many others in the village offered to help her, but she refused politely, unwilling to let anyone else care for her lifeline, Maya.

She heard the other women in the village talk about her; about how pitiful it was that a twelve-year-old girl had to take on such a responsibility and how shameful it was that her mother would abandon her in such a fashion. Their words sliced at Mia's heart, reopening her healing wounds, but she fought to hide how broken her heart was.

After a while, the gossip died down as Mia adjusted to her motherless lifestyle. She was unsure of what lay ahead for her and Maya, but simply lived life day by day, until she overheard the elders discussing her position one day.

"We need to start training Mia as the Master soon. I have my doubts that Mystic Misty will return to us."

"I sense that she will have very strong powers…she's got a powerful resolve."

"But what about the little one, Maya? What if she grows up like her mother, and surpasses her sister?"

"I do hope that history will not repeat itself. Morgan is clearly dissatisfied with being the branch family…Mia might feel the same way if it happened to her."

"Remember how much Morgan hated Mystic Misty when it happened? I would hate to see the same thing happen to little Mia and Maya."

"But what should we do? Tradition says that the oldest sister should take the role, but I feel that Maya will grow up to be a powerful spirit medium."

Mia returned to her room, suddenly feeling confused about what to do. She watched Maya play with Effie in the corner, without really paying attention, her mind occupied with the prospect of becoming the Master.

_But what if Maya grows up to be jealous of me? Or vice versa? I can't let something like this ruin my bond with my sister! But what can I do?_

Maya noticed her sister in the room and waddled over to her, hugging her leg with her chubby arms.

"I love you, sissy," Maya looked up at her sister adoringly.

Mia's eyes filled with tears as she began to wonder how she could have survived the past few weeks without her baby sister. She could see how much Maya adored her, and refusing to let anything come between them, Mia made her decision.

Nothing in the world meant more to her than her sister, and nothing would ever change that. She didn't want the title of the Master, nor any fame associated with it. She didn't need anything but her sister's affectionate love.

Bending down to hug her sister, she felt her worries disperse at her decision. Because for a moment, everything was right in the world.

_Then the traveller in the dark_

_Thanks you for your tiny spark_

_He could not see which way to go_

_If you did not twinkle so_

_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

**

* * *

****End Notes:**

You may have noticed that this one was slightly shorter than the previous two. Did the other ones drag on too much?

As always, feedback is loved, and reviews make me so very happy!

So please? Review?

Oh, I nearly forgot - happy holidays! :D


	4. Star Light, Star Bright

**Author's Notes:**

Hey everyone! I know it's been forever since I've updated. At the end of January, I had exams, which meant that my whole first month of 2009 was packed with homework because of all my teachers cramming the rest of our curriculum into those last several weeks. And then there was Valentine's Day and such, and recently, there were just a lot of personal things getting in the way of me finding the time (and mood) to write.

But enough of my ranting - I'm back now (hopefully with more updates). I've had an idea for a Mia x Diego multi-chaptered story for a really long time, and I really want to start writing it. So keep your eyes open for that too :) And I hope everyone's doing well, and I'd love if anyone contacted me just to catch up :)

Anyways, here is the 4th long-shot of _Constellations_. It's from Ema's perspective, and since I've already done Lana's, I tried to keep this one short so that it wouldn't be repetitive. And you'll notice I wrote in present tense this time. (Yes, Philomena needs her practice in writing in present tense :P) So if there's any grammar that sounds weird or debatable, please point it out, because writing in present tense really isn't my forte. Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, _Star light, Star bright_ is a nursery rhyme that obviously does not belong to me :P

And, much thanks to **JediKnightCheeze **who beta-read for me again. And I want to wish everyone a very (belated) happy New Year and Valentine's Day!

Hope you like this (and as always, I'll be oh-so-happy if you leave me a review :P)

**

* * *

****Star Light, Star Bright**

The glass of her bedroom window is cold against her cheek. The streetlamps outside suddenly blur, and a moment later, she feels the tears spill onto her face. She tries to swallow the lump in her throat, but it has the opposite effect of what she wanted. Her tiny frame begins shaking uncontrollably, her little body wracked with sobs. Through her blurred vision, she sees a figure practically sprint towards her from the doorway.

"Ema, don't cry," her sister tries to calm her.

The little girl looks up into Lana's eyes, her lower lip trembling.

"I miss Mommy and Daddy."

Suddenly, she is not the only one crying. A pair of arms encircle her, and a wet cheek presses stickily against hers.

Even at her young age, Ema senses that something is askew with this picture. She has never seen Lana fall apart like this. She feels like she is seeing something she shouldn't be, as if she peeked behind a heavy curtain and watched a backstage warm-up that should have been left unseen.

As if realizing the same thing, Lana pulls back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and gives her little sister a crooked smile.

"Me too."

Ema feels a hand slide into hers.

"But they're not too far away. Just look outside."

Little Ema looks out the window once again, naively hoping that her parents will be standing there on the sidewalk. Instead, Lana gestures towards the sky.

"See all those stars up there? Mom and Dad are one of them."

Ema sniffles. "Really?"

Her sister bobs her head convincingly. "And if there's a wish you want to make, you can wish it on them."

Ema's eyes widen. "But what if they're not listening?"

"You just have to say the magic words. Repeat after me:

_Star light, star bright_

_The first star I see tonight_

_I wish I may, I wish I might,_

_Have the wish I wish tonight."_

Little Ema feels hopeful as she says the words. She squeezes Lana's hand, and she knows that she can trust her big sister. As she makes her wish, she knows she is not alone in this forlorn world.

* * *

The glass of the window is frigid against her hot cheek. The angry tears stream down her face as she sits there, confused and hurt.

Lana will not be coming to console her this time.

She hates her sister right now, yet at the same time, vainly hopes that Lana will miraculously transform back to her old self.

A fresh round of tears pour down Ema's face. There will be no such miracle. Lana is cold and uncaring; nothing will change that now. Ema's empty hand clenches into a fist as she is reminded of how alone she is.

Through her tear-filled eyes, she can see the stars twinkling outside. They seem to mock her, laughing at all the times she was stupid enough to make a wish on them. At all the times she believed in the things that Lana told her. At her futile wishes and attempts at understanding Lana's sudden transformation.

"I hate you!" she whispers angrily to no one in particular. Instead of making Ema feel better, hearing those words makes the knot in her stomach tighten, and the weight on her heart suddenly seems a hundred times heavier than it was before.

Defeated, Ema closes her eyes, shutting out the world. With her head against the windowpane, she slowly drifts into dreamland, without realizing that it's her sister's tearful voice from the doorway lulling her to sleep.

_"Star light, star bright_

_The first star Ema has seen tonight_

_I wish she may, I wish she might,_

_Have the wish she wishes tonight."_

* * *

Ema's hand is pressed against the cold glass of the detention centre's visiting room. Lana has already left, but Ema feels transfixed to the spot, her mind still spinning at everything that just happened.

There was no way that Lana could have killed a person. No matter how much Lana changed over the past two years, Ema refuses to believe that Lana would, or could, do such a thing.

It's a while before the guard finally tells her that she needs to leave, and she walks outside in a daze. She feels numb, but a little voice at the back of her head tells her that it's not over.

_Science is on your side, Ema. Lana is innocent, and science will prove that. But you need to get help first._

Those down-to-earth, rational words seem to come from Lana, and not Ema herself. But Ema knows that they are true, and she refuses to give up now, when her sister needs her the most.

Ema has fought through everything – her parents' deaths so many years ago, and Lana's sudden personality change after the Joe Darke case. Ema will not stop fighting now.

She feels her determined spirit come back to her with vigour, and glancing up at the sky, seeing the stars gives her a sort of reassurance.

Science has always told her to think, but Lana has always told her to believe.

And so, for the first time in two years, she does.

_"Star light, star bright_

_The first star I see tonight_

_I wish I may, I wish I might,_

_Have the wish I wish tonight."_


End file.
